IN FOR A PENNY

What fun is it for an amateur suburban sleuth to encounter a corpse when the suspects are her friends and relatives?

Recently divorced accountant Cleopatra Jones enjoys taking out her frustrations in the Ladies Nine Hole Golf League—that is until she and her best friend Jonette discover the body of her husband’s old friend just off the sixth green. Donny Davis, better known as “Dudley Doright,” worked with Cleo’s ex-husband Charlie at the local bank. A womanizer and tough banker, Donny has a long list of people who may have wanted him dead. Detective Britt Radcliff, who has known Cleo since she was a child, warns her to mind her own business, but when Jonette and then Charlie emerge as suspects, Cleo ignores his advice. Although her full-time household includes her two daughters, her eccentric momma and, at least temporarily, Donny’s Saint Bernard Madonna, Cleo manages to find time to investigate. To the chagrin of the unhappily remarried Charlie, a sizzling kiss from the sexy golf pro reawakens Cleo’s interest in her love life. As a bonus, she narrowly escapes death and emerges victorious and unfettered.

Toussaint’s debut is a mildly amusing addition to the cozy ranks with possibilities for future development.